


Buffyverse #2

by softlyforgotten



Series: buffyverse [2]
Category: Bandom, Panic At The Disco, The Young Veins
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-26
Updated: 2009-08-26
Packaged: 2017-10-23 02:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/245118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softlyforgotten/pseuds/softlyforgotten





	Buffyverse #2

It was just like Ryan to slide his way back into Brendon's life with a line like that, flippant and stupid and belied entirely by the dark, serious look in his eyes, and okay, maybe it wasn't just like Ryan at all, but right at that moment, Brendon was shocked and angry and bitter enough to think it. Spencer was gaping at him from the wall twenty feet away from them, picking himself up haltingly and looking a little betrayed, and Ryan wouldn't take his eyes off Brendon's face, and Brendon could think of a dozen horrible situations off the top of his head right now that he'd rather be in than this.

"What are you doing here?" Brendon asked eventually, and Ryan's face fell, a little bit, the crooked, hopeful smile dropping away.

"Brendon," he began.

Brendon shook his head and took his glasses off, knuckling his eyes. "I mean," he said. "When did you get here? And why the fuck were you beating up my – Spencer?"

Ryan's jaw tightened. "Those guys jumped me," he said, and his voice was a little mocking. Something clenched in Brendon's gut. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Your Spencer was untouchable, generally when someone throws a punch I'm going to give back what I get."

Spencer drew closer towards them, stumbling a little, and Brendon hissed out a breath; Ryan hadn't fought to kill, nowhere close to it, but Spencer wasn't a Slayer with superhuman strength and he wasn't used to some of the older, more dangerous vampires, either. He stepped forward quickly to help and Spencer made a face and then leaned against Brendon's side, letting Brendon wrap an arm around his waist. Spencer barely ever let him do that; he must be really hurt, and that gave Brendon the anger he needed to glare at Ryan, who stared back at him.

"Brendon," Spencer said carefully, "do you _know_ him?"

Brendon swallowed. "Hey, so," he said. "Remember how I told you about Ryan?"

"Oh," he said, "Holy shit," and Ryan smiled, eyes dark.

"Hello, Brendon's Spencer," he said, voice still light with that cruel mocking edge. Brendon bit his lip; Ryan wasn't going to let that slip go by anytime soon. "It's a pleasure."

"Has he gone evil again?" Spencer asked, staring, and Ryan bared his teeth.

"Stop it," Brendon told him, and then to Spencer, "No. Believe it or not, this is just what he's like."

"Well, I can see why you liked him," Spencer said. "He's a charmer."

"You, too," Ryan said, smiling dangerously. "Brendon's always liked guys who could stand up in a fight. Oh, wait—"

"Cut it out," Brendon snapped. "Ryan, you didn't tell me what you're doing here."

"Something's coming," Ryan said, casting a wary glance at Spencer. "Something – we don't know, really, but it's bad, and. You might need back-up." He drew in a breath. "So I'm here, and I think Jon's getting the band to pass through here on tour, and he's gonna stay for a while, and I'm pretty sure Pete's coming down—"

"Oh, Patrick will love that," Brendon murmured. Ryan smiled tightly.

"Anyway," he said. "Basically everyone's heading back into town. I just got here a little early."

"Right," Brendon said, and didn't look at Spencer. He wanted to go back to his dorm and get a hug from Shane, talk to the last guy who both understood what they had been and _hadn't_ left. Spencer was holding himself stiffly, and Brendon wasn't so stupid as to think that it was just from the fight. He asked, "Have you got a place to stay?"

Ryan swallowed. "I was hoping," he said. "I mean, I should have – tomorrow night I'll go check out the cemetery, but it's almost morning—"

"It's cool," Brendon said flatly. "I'm kind of used to you wandering in and expecting things by now."

"Brendon," Ryan said, but Brendon ignored him, turned around with Spencer and walked slowly back with him, Spencer silent and unwilling to even flinch and show weakness beside Brendon. Brendon owed him a pretty huge apology, he thought, but right now he was having trouble concentrating on anything that wasn't Ryan trailing morosely behind him.

He stopped outside Spencer's dorm room. "You gonna be alright?" he asked. "You need me to come in and help bandage you up?"

"I'll be fine," Spencer said. He looked hurt, and angry. After a moment he said, "Brendon, are you going to be safe?"

"I – me?" Brendon blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"He's a _vampire_ ," Spencer said, and Ryan took a snarling step forward. Brendon whirled around and glared at him, and after a moment Ryan stepped back again, folding his arms.

"He's Ryan," Brendon said. "He's an asshole, but he won't hurt me."

"I'm just saying," Spencer said, and he had an edge in his voice now, goddamnit, Brendon had never expected to have the two of them in the same room and it was definitely turning into a disaster, both of them alike and stubborn and cruel when it struck them to be so. "He's done it before," Spencer continued, and before Brendon could react Ryan had Spencer slammed up against the wall, and Brendon pulled him away just before his fist connected with Spencer's face.

"Are you _crazy_?" he shouted. "Jesus fucking Christ, Ryan!"

"I would never," Ryan said, and he was shaking all over. "You stupid _child_ , you have no idea, you weren't there, I would _never_ —"

"We've got it," Brendon snapped. He took in a deep breath and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Spencer," and then he grabbed Ryan's elbow and marched away.

*

Ryan was silent when they got back, and even Shane, after getting over his initial shock, didn't push too much, just said, "Good to see you again, man." Ryan nodded mutely.

"The curtains are pretty flimsy," Brendon told him. "They let the light in. And we don't have another room, but the closet's pretty big, you could probably fit in there with a couple of blankets, if you wanted. Do you need to eat?"

"I'm fine," Ryan said. He nodded, half to himself, and said, "This will be fine. Thank you."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Brendon said. "I'm kind of exhausted."

"Right," Ryan said. Brendon went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, looking at the empty space in the mirror, imagining turning around and seeing Ryan there the way he hadn't in months, since Ryan had first left after graduation. This time, though, his instincts were right, and when he turned around, Ryan was leaning against the doorway.

"Do you like college?" he asked quietly.

Brendon looked tiredly at him. "Yeah," he said. "I mean. It's still hard juggling classes and all the other stuff, but I like it. There are good people here."

Ryan's mouth curled. "Like Spencer."

"Like Spencer," Brendon agreed. He left, and Ryan followed him, their shoulders brushing. It was the most they'd touched since prom. Brendon bit his lip.

"You look good," Ryan said. Brendon shut the door behind them.

"Shane's asleep," he said shortly, and pulled off his jeans and hoodie, trying not to feel too self-conscious. Ryan had seen it all before, anyway. Even if it had just been the once. He crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over himself. "Night," he said.

"Goodnight," Ryan murmured. There was the soft click of the closet door shutting, and Brendon had the urge to laugh hysterically, make some bad pun or ring Patrick up and say, _there's a vampire in my closet_ before giggling. Instead he pulled his pillow over his head and quietly, thankfully, went to sleep.


End file.
